Automatic belt take-up



July 19, 1932. p J. THOMAS 1,868,438

AUTOMATIC BELT TAKE-UP Filed April 1 1, 1930 2 SheS-Sheet 1 lIlllllllllllIllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllnll INVENTOR ATTORN EYSJuly 19, 1932. l R J. THOMAS 1,868,438

AUTOMATIC BELT TAKE-UP Filed April 11. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l INVENToRlcfac J Thomas BYZZMWVQ,

Patented July 19, 1932 PATENT eri-ica PACIFIC J. THOMAS, OF WYOMING,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO U. S. TEXTILE HA- CHINE COMPANY, OF SCRAN'EON,PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYL- AVANIA.

Uniflame BELT maken? Application led, April 11, 1930. Serial No.448,545.

This invention relates to an automatic beltA take-up, the object beingto provide an improved construction wherein all slack may beautomatically taken up continuously.

Another object of the invention is to provide a belt tightener fortwisting machines and other machines wherein'the motor used in drivingthe belt is slidingly mounted'and is associated with weighted membersacting substantially to move the motor in one direction.

A further object of the invention is t provide a belt tightener fortwisting machines 'wherein the drivingA pulley is connected directlywith a sliding motor, and the sliding motor in turn is connected with anautomatic weight actuated means for moving the motor and -pulley forcausing a roper tension of the belt passing over the pul ey.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view showingpart of a twisting machine and an embodiment of the invention appliedthereto;

Figure 2 is a sectional view through Figure 1 approximately on the line2-2;

Figure 3 is an end view on a large scale of the belt tightener andassociated parts shown in'Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through Figure 3 onthe line 4-4.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals, 1 and 2 indicate theend members, and 3 and 4 connecting bars forming a. frame for a twistingmachine.- Mounted on this frame is a suitable whorl 5 formin thetwisting mechanism. The whorl 5 inc udes bobbins 6 and idler pulleys 7associated therewith and adapted to be' operated by the belt 8. The belt8 at one end passes over the ,fixed pulley 9 and over` the sliding o radjustable pulley 10 at the` opposite end. The pulley 9 is connectedthrough a shaft to certain moving parts of the twisting machine whichform no part of the present invention.

Theppulley 10 is connectedl directly with the electric motor 11 so as tobe driven thereby. The motor 11 is bolted or otherwise ri idly securedto the plate 12 mounted on ro s 13 and 14. These three members form areciprocating frame carriedby the bracket 15. Motor 11 may be of anydesired type of the proper horse power to drive pulley 10 when the belt8 is atthe desired tightness. Shaft 13 carries rollers 16 and 17, whileshaft 14 carries rollers A18 and in addition carries certain membershereinafter fully described. The rollers 16 and 18 are associated withthe bracket and operated between the shoulders 19 and 20, as shown inFigure 4. In fact, the weight of these rollers and the parts carriedthereby rest on the auxiliary track 21 carried by the shoulder 19.

l A similar structure is provided on the opposite side of the machinewith respect to rollers 17 and 18. As both sides of the machine areidentical the description of onel will apply to both.

As shown in Figure 4 the rod or shaft 14 carries a roller 18. Thisroller is formed with a Vhub 22 pinned securely to shaft 14, saidhub-acting as a thrust bearing for-limiting the slidin movement of plate12 on shaft 14. The sha t 14 extends not only through roller 18 and itshub but through the slot 31 in bracket 15. The small pinion 23 is'securely pinned to rod 14 and meshes continuously with the rack 24rigidly secured to the shoulder 25, which shoulder is preferably castintegral with bracket 15.

The sleeve 26 is also loosely mounted on the shaft or rod 14, saidsleeve having clutch teeth 28 coacting with teeth 27 formed on inion 23.The sleeve 26 is preferably cast integral with the arm 29 which carriesa weight 30 at the upper end. This weight may be integral with the arm29 or may be made separately and rigidly secured thereto,

or adjustabl secured as desired.

As shown 1n Figure 4, sleeve 26 is provided with a socket 31 carrying aspring 32, said spring having one end resting in the socket ool 33 ofblock 34 pinnedA or otherwise rigidly secured to shaft or rod 14.

The wei hts 30 andv 30 may operate in unison or Preferably one is raisedto a comparatively high point, as shown by welght 30 1n Flgure 1, whilethekother weightl 30 is at a lower point, thuspermitting weight 30 tocontinue to vfunction. after weightv 30 has been ey may operate atdifferent times.'

' s taken up. v

In case it should be desired to cause either weight to. function again,it 1s only necessary to raise the weight and in doing so the teeth 27will slip by teeth 28, as spring 32 will allow sleeve 26 to yield. Afterthe upward swinging movement of either of the weights has beencompleted, spring 32 will 'function and causev the clutch members orteeth 27 and 28 to interlock thus permitting-strain .s 10 is kept in thecorrect Vertical position,v

although it may be moved back and forth horizontally.

By the arrangement of gears and 'racks togetherwi't-h the weighted armsand associ- 'ated parts, not only is belt 8 kept under the proper anddesired tension at all times, but the stretch'in the belt is taken up asthe travel of the pulley 10 is appreciable. As shown in Figure '1 eachofthe brackets 15 is provided wtha slot -31 and through these slots therod 14 extends. The pulley wheel 10 and associated parts may mo've adistance substantially equal-to the length of the slot 31. It will thusbe seen that the lstretch of the belt is taken care of by the length ofthe slot 31 in bracket 15, and ifvthis should not be sui'cient a simpleshortening of the belt is all that is required.

I t'will be understood that the belt tension or take-up of the devicemay be used with a 'single twisting machine or with avmultiple decktwister without vdeparting from the' spirit o f the invention. This isparticularly true because eachdevice operates .independently andinconnection only with one belt.

By'the use of weights instead of springs there is no diminution of poweras the iframe carrying pulley 10 moves.- .Naturally the weights 30 and'30 will have less strain or pulling power as they move to a point nearersaid gear having clutch teeth .on one face, a sleeve having clutch teethat one end, a spring acting on said sleeve for normally holding vtheteeth of the sleeve in engagement with the teeth of said gear, and aweighted arm rigidly connected with said sleeve for givingv the sleeve atendency to rotate.

2. A belt tightener comprising a pair of brackets adapted to be rigidlysecured' to the frame of the machine to which the tightener isconnected, each bracket having a slotextending in a horizontaldirection, a carriage supported by said brackets, said carriageincluding a rod extending through the slots of said bracket, a motorcarried by said carriage, a pulley connected Vwith said motor .andsupported thereby, a pinion for each bracket rotatably mounted on saidrod, a rack carried by each bracket, said racks meshing with therespective pinions, each of said pinions having clutch teeth on oneface, a sleeve .rotatably mounted on said rod adjacent each of saidpinions, each of said lsleeves having clutch teeth at one end, a springacting on each of said sleeves for normally holding the clutch teeththereof in engagement with the clutch teeth of the respective lpinions,and a weighted arm extending from each 'of said sleeves whereby -eithersleeve may be brought under tension for rotating the pinion adjacentthereto.

PACIFIC J'. THOMAS.

the vertical, and when it is found that there Y 1s not enough tensionone or both of these weights may be raised to a horizontal posiositionto secure the further noted that tion or to some other desired pull. .Itwill the take-up or tensionis automatic and continuous. I claim: 1. Abelt tightener including a'. pulley, a

driving member connected to said pulley, re- 'i'procating supportingmeans for supportmg said driving member, aV stationary rack, a gearrotatably mounted on said supporting ioe means, said. gear meshing withsaid rack,

